1. 8.L.3.1 Messana Science 8

2.  ___________– change & vary over time  ____________is looked at to indicate health  A _________, ___________ _______ that includes: ◦ 1. ___________ components (living)  Exs: _________, fungi, plants, ____________ ◦ 2. ______________components (nonliving, physical or chemical)  Exs: _________, oxygen, nitrogen, ________, pH, soil nutrients & composition, temperature, sunlight, __________________

3.  ____________= same organisms that can __________ with each other  _______________= small group of ________ _______ in the same location/geographic area  ________________ = __________ populations that interact together within a certain area

4.  _______________= communities of organisms & their _________ factors living together, sustained by the continuous flow of _________  _______________= ALL ecosystems on Earth

6.  ___________ ____________at a predictable rate  Supply of __________ fluctuates at a predictable rate  _____________flows through at a fairly ____________ rate

7.  ___________: the place where an organism lives. It supplies all the biotic and abiotic factors the organism needs to survive.  ____________: an organism’s role/”job.” what it eats, how it eats and what eats it… If the niche of one organism overlaps the niche of another organism, you have competition!

8.  What is Reginald’s habitat?  What is Reginald’s niche?

9.  Measures the # of individual organisms living in a defined space  __________ ____________= the # of individuals that an environment can support  ___________ ____________= things that can change within an ecosystem and will regulate/change a population (its size, density, distribution)

10.  1. Density-_______________Factors: ◦ Affect a large population more strongly than small ◦ Triggered by density (crowding) ◦ Ex: ____________________________________________ _______________________________________________  2. Density-______________________Factors: ◦ Occur regardless of how large the population is ◦ Reduce size of all populations in area by same %age ◦ Ex: _______________________________________ ___________________________________________  3.Biotic Factors 4. Abiotic Factors

11.  __________________= an interaction between species in which one species eats the other  Predator eats the Prey!!  Ex: Whale Shark eats _____________ and small fish  Ex: Red wolf eats __________, swamp rabbits, etc

12.  As prey population ______________, predator population ____________ (more food available)  As predator population ___________, prey population _______________ (prey are easier to find, more get eaten)  _____________ - ___________ ___________ fluctuates in a predictable cycle  stable ecosystem

13.  Competition = occurs when 2 or more organisms need the _________ __________ at the same time (________, shelter, water)  Can be among members of same or different ________________  Occurs when organisms share same ___________  Ex: Hawks and fox eat ______________  Results in decrease in population of species that is less adapted to compete

14.  Symbiotic Relationships:  Between organisms of 2 different species that live together in direct contact  Fluctuations in populations of 1 species will affect the other  1._____________________  2._____________________  3. ____________________

15.  ________________= symbiotic relationship where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other organism (the host)  Usually parasite ______ ______ ______ ________  Some parasite live _________host – tapeworms  Some parasites feed on __________surface of host – fleas, aphids  Ex: __________ sucking blood from animals

16.  ______________ = symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit & they help each other to survive  Ex: plant roots ______ ________ for fungi that break down nutrients the plant needs  Ex: _____________ can digest wood and live in digestive tracts of termites  Oxpecker Bird eats _______ and parasites, mammal gets pest control

17.  Remora sharks have an adhesive disk on their dorsal surface, with the help of which they attach themselves to whales and then, __________the whale’s skin and feed on the remains from the whale's food

18.  Commensalism = symbiotic relationship where _________ organism benefits and the other is __________ affected positively or negatively  Glass shrimp, which are almost completely see through, will attach to the chocolate chip sea star and take on its coloration. This helps the shrimp camouflage itself so it is not eaten by predators

19.  1. What are the essential components of a habitat?  2. What are some of the “limiting factors” that affect an organism’s survival?  3. Are wildlife populations static, or do they tend to fluctuate, as part of an overall “balance of nature”? Explain your answer.  4. Is nature ever really in “balance” or are ecological systems involved in a process of constant change?

20. How does this relationship help maintain balance & stability in an ecosystem? Let’s Find Out… Animal Fight Club – What are they fighting for? http://www.animalfightclub.com/

21. How does this relationship help maintain balance & stability in an ecosystem? Let’s Find Out… Elephants Show Cooperation on Test http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXcRw6Piaj8

22.  You will be going outside IN AN ORDERLY AND QUIET MANNER.  Describe the school ecosystem ◦ What types of communities do you see? ◦ What populations of organisms do you see? ◦ For three organisms, describe the habitat and niche of each organism

23. What do all living organisms need? How might organisms in an ecosystem interact? What factors would influence the size of a population? Do you think there is a limit to the size of a population in an ecosystem? Explain. EQ: How do different factors in an ecosystem affect a population?

24. Predator: Those that are doing the eating Prey: Those that are being eaten

25. How does this predator-prey relationship help maintain balance & stability in an ecosystem? Let’s investigate the answer to this through the “Lynx Eats the Hare” Game

26. 1. You will play with your table group. 2. Use the big whiteboard as your 15” game board. The whiteboard represents the area inhabited by the hare population. 3. Read the directions and fill in the data table as you play. 4. After you finish 20 generations, graph the results and answer the Post-Lab Questions.

27. ROLES: Reader/Leader – Reads ALL of the directions BEFORE you start the game so you know what you are in for & ensures the game is being played correctly. Supply Manager – retrieves & returns game board, cards & directions Data Technician – records data in data table for others to copy after the game Data Assistant – helps ensure data is recorded accurately for each generation

28. How does the predator-prey relationship help maintain balance & stability in an ecosystem?  Predators eat prey and maintain health of the prey populations  Predators eat the old, sick, weak – those “less fit” to survive the help the evolution of the species  Works like a cycle: As the population of prey increases, then the predator population will increase as their food source increases – they are able to eat more prey, and in turn decrease the prey population once again